Contentment

Society and the people in it seem as if they are in a hurry, always trying to achieve the next big goal. What is the biggest dream you think people are trying to achieve in their life today? How do you think they can achieve it?

A lot of people say “I wish I could get off the roller-coaster of life and slow down.” The biggest element missing in our lives today is contentment. Other words for contentment include: satisfaction, happiness, pleasure, gratification, ease, fulfilment and agreement.

If the connotations of these words are explored we can see that people are striving for a sense of validation and to feel they have made it, to feel they are acceptable to themselves and to others. We always feel there is improving to do. We feel we are not good enough yet, or that we do not have enough material belongings.

We often talk about what we are going to achieve, instead of thinking about or looking at what we have already achieved. Have you ever thought:

> That you are right at the place now that you are supposed to be?

> That you might be spending so much energy trying to achieve the next goal that you haven’t even enjoyed the one you just achieved?

> That you spend so much time getting more material possessions that you haven’t spent much time with your family?

> That you spend so much time doing what you think “they” want you to do, that you haven’t realised your own dreams?

Looking back at some school friends, there is one who became a lawyer because that is what was expected. He hated it. He wanted to be a farmer. He was miserable for years, then he became a farmer. He loves it. Then there is another friend who became a boilermaker, because his dad and brother were one. He hated it. Now he is studying nursing to do what he always desired to do.

So many young people today assess their success by what others are doing. Other people are not you. Other people have not had the same experiences, resources or support you have. So many young people feel they are not worthy unless they are doing what the majority are doing. They go and get a boyfriend/girlfriend because others in the group have one. They get piercings or particular clothes just because others in the group have them. Who says you can’t be an individual and be who you want to be? Why can’t you be acceptable simply because of who you already are?

Contentment says: “This is who I am. I am where I am supposed to be at this time in my life, and I am acceptable to me.” Instead of striving for satisfaction, happiness, pleasure, gratification, ease and fulfilment, you will simply just have it. People who say what a waste of time an experience was, never stopped to think about what lesson they may have learned.

The biggest thing people are trying to achieve is contentment. If they just stopped and looked, they might discover they already have it.